


Quarantine

by VictorineMarguerite



Category: Oban Star-Racers
Genre: F/M, Quarantine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26529586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VictorineMarguerite/pseuds/VictorineMarguerite
Summary: Everyone thought it was just another flu. A virus, sure, but not a bad one. Eva hadn’t been scared. When Aikka had gotten in touch, telling her he would be on Earth for several days, she hadn’t thought that it was a terrible idea. On the contrary. She was very excited to see her friend. Since Oban, there had been very few occasions to hang out.***It's a quarantine fic, baby!
Relationships: Aikka/Eva "Molly" Wei
Kudos: 15





	Quarantine

**Author's Note:**

> Started writing this fic when I was in quarantine, had a meltdown, bon appétit. 
> 
> T rating for some mentions of sex ; nothing too graphic, but they're definitely ... doing it. Eva and Aikka are both older than in the original series. 
> 
> As always, english isn't my first language, and i'm sorry for any grammar mistakes. Enjoy!

Everyone thought it was just another flu. A virus, sure, but not a bad one, meaning not one that could kill people that weren't old. That argument alone had rubbed Eva in the wrong way. She did care if a virus killed the elders and people that were already ill.

However, at first, she had acted like everyone else. She hadn’t been scared. Eva had kept going out like she always did, training with Rick, getting ready for her next race. When Aikka had gotten in touch, telling her he would be on Earth for several days, she hadn’t thought that it was a terrible idea. On the contrary. She was very excited to see her friend. Since Oban, there had been very few occasions to hang out. 

At first, it was the war that had kept them apart. After the Great Race, the Nourasians had rebelled against the Crogs. The fight had been gruesome, and lasted for almost an Earth year. Then, the Nourasians had reached out to other planets to create new alliances. It hadn’t been easy. Earth had been one of the first planets to actually sign a treaty with King Lao and Queen Nori. Because Eva and her ex-team had told the government how Aikka had helped them during the Oban race. But, mostly, because the Earth coallition had been very happy to have a proper business deal with Nourasia and to benefit from the planet’s many, many natural resources.

Since then, Aikka et Eva had seen each other a few times. Usually, their meetings were short and heavily monitored, both by the Earth coallition secret services and by Canaan, Aikka’s fencing master. However, Eva tried not to be too frustrated. She knew Aikka was a prince. He had very important duties, and very little free time. She was happy that he would always use the few hours he had left on Earth to see her. It’s not like she could keep him for herself. 

That is, until the pandemic.

______

“I beg your pardon?”

Eva winced. She had seen Canaan a few times since Oban, mostly in the background of wherever she had chosen to meet Aikka, watching them closely but with discretion. He had always been very polite to her, though a bit cold. 

The point was : she knew Aikka’s fencing master to be a calm man. He was strict, but never angry. Thus, it was very distressing to see him scream at her dad through her visiophone.

“Please do understand that I’m as unhappy as you are about this arrangement, sir.” Even through the thick layer of pixels, Eva could tell her dad was as uneasy as she was. “The situation is getting worse by the minute, we simply cannot risk that you or the prince get sick.”

“Then find us a place to stay in!” 

Don Wei sighed. “We cannot do that. The virus can affect people very quickly, even by just getting outside for a few minutes. I’m sorry, and I do understand how inconvenient the situation is, but it is simply safer that you stay at Eva’s for now.”

Eva looked at Aikka, who was sitting next to her on the couch. He didn’t seem angry like Canaan. Actually, he didn’t seem … anything. Aikka had a very neutral face, one that Eva knew he used in tense political situations. She sighed. 

It turned out the new virus nobody was worried about was much, much worse than the flu. The Earth government was now scrambling to fund research for a vaccine, and quarantine as many citizens as possible. Things had moved really quickly. So quickly than when the government started to think about where to put the prince of Nourasia and his master, who were originally on Earth to discuss possible amendments for the deal than linked the planet to theirs, Aikka wasn’t actually aware than he had to be put in quarantine. He had come to visit Eva on the last days of his trip, in Paris, far away from Switzerland, where the Earth government HQ stood. 

The President himself had called Eva. He had explained that there had been a change of plans. Aikka and his master could not go back to Nourasia, nor to Switzerland. Not for now, at least. But they couldn’t stay in their hotel in Paris. Every non-essential place of business would have to temporarily close because of the pandemic. And the last thing the Earth government needed was the Prince of Nourasia, only heir to the throne, to get sick, or worse, possibly to bring the virus back home. It would be a disaster, in every sense of the term. Scientists still struggled to understand how it could affect a human body, let alone an alien one. 

But also, the President had quickly added, the government didn’t think it would be sensible to let Aikka and Canaan live on their own. They needed a chaperone. Eva, then, understood that the Earth-Nourasia relationship maybe wasn’t as good as she thought. 

Long story short : the government had the brilliant idea to ask (well, order) Eva to host Aikka and Canaan. Not for long, they had promised. Just for a few days, weeks at most, so that the crisis would blow over, and to figure out a way to send the Nourasians safely back home. Surely, Aikka and Canaan would agree that this was the most sensible option. 

“It is an outrageous idea and I will not allow it”, shouted Canaan, waving a threatening finger at the visiophone. “You Earthlings have treated us badly since the very beginning, and I am sick of it. I demand that you let us leave.” 

Don Wei sighed, looking more tired than Eva had ever seen him. The pandemic had taken place while he was away in Japan for some racing related business. Nobody really knew when he could get back to France. However, despite the distance and the time difference, Eva had asked him to deliver the bad news to Canaan and Aikka. She felt that it would be more official, since Don Wei often worked for the government ; also, she had expected them to be mad, and didn’t want to be the one shouted at. Not that she felt guilty now. Even if their relationship was better than it used to be, Eva still thought her dad deserved to be screamed at from time to time. 

“Your government doesn’t even have the decency to deliver the news themselves !” added Canaan. Once again, Eva winced. This conversation was getting nowhere. 

Aikka seemed to think the same thing. Suddenly, the prince rose from the couch and gently, but firmly, took his master’s place in front of the visiophone. Canaan took a step back. After all this shouting, he had suddenly switched back to his regular face, cool as a cucumber. But if Eva squinted, even she could tell that he was embarrassed.

“We agree to your terms, and will stay at Eva’s for now”, Aikka said. “Please let us know if anything changes in the next few days.” 

____

Nothing changed in the next few days.

Hosting two persons was a challenge. Eva’s flat wasn’t small by parisian’s standards, but it wasn’t huge either. She had one bedroom, an open kitchen, a pull-out couch and, thankfully, a balcony that looked over a communal garden. 

The first night, Eva offered Canaan her bed. She didn’t know how old the Nourasian was, but he was at least as old as Don Wei, and her dad HATED her pull-out couch. She didn’t want Aikka’s master’s mood to worsen because of back pains.

However, as soon as she offered, Canaan looked as if she had slapped him. 

“Miss Wei, it is out of the question that I use your bed. I will use your couch, and I will share it with the prince”, he insisted, looking at her in a very serious manner. Eva blushed deeply. She hadn’t realized she had sounded like she had offered to share a bed with Aikka. Without looking at the two men, she mumbled excuses and ran into her bedroom to fetch clean bedsheets.

____

Days went on, until the first week in quarantine had passed. Eva’s daily life was both weird and boring. She woke up at 8, like before the pandemic. Usually she stayed in bed for an hour or so, listening to music and checking her emails. This was the most depressing part of her day. Every race or events she was supposed to take part in were getting cancelled. Luckily for Eva, her dad could provide for her. But it wasn’t the case of most of her friends, in the industry or outside of it. 

When Eva would actually go outside of her bedroom, Aikka and Canaan were already up for several hours. She didn’t actually know at what hour they woke up every day, but she knew it was awfully early. Aikka and Canaan were not allowed to go outside, even to get some fresh air, so they would exercise first thing in the morning. Not that Eva actually saw/heard it. They were very quiet and mindful of the neighbours. But one day, Eva had woken up a bit earlier than usual, and she had run into a very sweaty Aikka, sans shirt, probably on his way to the shower. It was awkward. And a bit hot. 

Eva was the one who did the cooking. Canaan and Aikka had offered to do it, at first, but then they had nearly burnt down Eva’s kitchen because they didn’t know how to use her earthling cooking appliances. Now they stuck to cutting vegetables and cleaning after her.

Eva actually enjoyed cooking for them. When she was on her own, she didn’t make a lot of efforts. Not that she was eating unhealthy - she needed to stay in shape for racing. She just didn’t mind eating radishes, boiled eggs and bagels with cream cheese for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. But with Canaan and Aikka, she had to step-up her game. She liked finding recipes that they would like, learning new things about her new flatmates (Aikka liked sour stuff, Canaan disliked cheese, they were both vegetarian and used to spicy food), and then focusing on making them. For half an hour, sometimes an hour, Eva could actually NOT think, and just cook. It was nice.

Outside of meals, their day would go on quietly. Eva called the government everyday ; and everyday, she was told she needed to wait a bit more. She played video games, tried to show Aikka the wonders of Netflix (he was really into Ugly Delicious), took naps, went on the balcony to do some stretching exercises Rick had taught her, hoping Canaan wasn’t looking and judging her poor form. Aikka liked to meditate and read earthling books. Sometimes, he would get into deep conversations in nourasians with Canaan. Usually, Eva took the hint, and went outside for grocery shopping and let them discuss whatever matter they had to discuss. But she didn’t enjoy it that much, since she knew Aikka and Canaan couldn’t go out like she did. Also, wearing a mask and washing her hand non-stop was weird.

The one good thing about this situation is that she could chat with Aikka way more than she ever did. She told him in great details what she had been up to since Oban. How she had somehow made things work with her father. How he had allowed her to be a pilot, but only on the condition of her going to university. How she had studied hard and got her degree, while becoming a very successful racer.

Aikka didn’t talk about himself as much as she would have liked, probably because Canaan was always around. The prince was a good listener though, and he seemed happy to share some interesting facts about Nourasia. It was good enough for Eva.

___________

Then Canaan got sick.

When she woke up that morning, Eva knew something was wrong. It wasn’t quiet like usual. She could hear Aikka talk with Canaan in nourasian. Someone was also coughing. A lot. Eva got up quickly and went out in her pajamas, her heart already pounding. She found Aikka and Canaan in her living-room, sitting on the unmade pull-out couch. Aikka had his hand on Canaan’s shoulder, rubbing small circles avec his thumb, like you would comfort someone sad. That alone was a reason to be concerned. Eva had never seen Aikka touch anyone in public. 

“I’m fine”, said Canaan as soon as he saw Eva, though he didn’t look fine at all. He was breathing heavily and Eva could see that he was trembling a bit. She looked at Aikka, who didn’t say a thing but looked worried, and immediately ran to her bathroom.

“I’m fine”, repeated Canaan, this time a bit more threatening, when she came back with her thermometer.

“Shut up and stay still” Eva held the thermometer in front of Canaan’s forehead. Ten seconds later, a series of violent beeps told her that he had a fever. She gulped but tried her best not to look like she was panicking.

“Canaan, you're sick. You need to rest, and you need to do that on a better bed. I’m putting you in my room.” 

“I agree with Eva”, Aikka added quickly, before Canaan could say anything. 

“Can you walk?” 

Canaan scoffed and got up immediately, though a bit slowly. He then grumbled something in nourasian. Aikka smiled and took his master’s arm, giving an answer Eva couldn’t understand but that was, judging by the tone, very gentle. She felt weirdly emotional. Aikka and Canaan looked much more like father and son than Eva had ever looked with Don Wei. 

After changing the sheets and hiding whatever she thought she should hide from Canaan (some panty lying on the floor, a picture of her drunk at a New Year Eve party, her cigarettes), Eva let Aikka bring his master to her room. When they got inside, she left and closed the door quietly behind her, to give them some privacy. 

Eva went back to the living room. She washed her hands in the kitchen’s sink, more out of habits than because of a real fear. She listened to the water running for a few seconds, trying to focus her thoughts. When she felt ready, she dried her hands and walked to her visiophone.

_____

Her contact at the government wasn’t pleased. He asked, several times, if Canaan had gotten out. 

“No, but I did”, Eva said  
“Why did you do that?”  
“To, uh, get groceries?”

The person (Eva could never remember his name. Martin? Thomas?) sighed like she had done something terribly stupid. Then he told her she couldn’t leave her flat, at all, for two weeks. Groceries would be delivered at her doorstep.

“What about Canaan?”  
“What about him?”  
“What should I do? Should I bring him to a hospital?”

“Certainly not!” Once again, the man acted like Eva was a very dumb child. “You take care of him and let us know if he gets worse.”

“But what do you mean, worse?” Eva insisted, trying not to act too angry, because she needed answers. There was a silence. 

“Trust me, you’ll know.” 

______

After that, Eva didn’t see Aikka for the rest of the day. At some point she knocked at her bedroom door, letting him know she had brought some pain killers, clean clothes (thank god for Koji and Stan crashing at her place some weeks ago and forgetting their dirty laundry), a bowl of soup and some books she thought might interest Canaan, if he wanted to entertain himself. She also repeated what the government had told her. She was met with total silence. But when she had come back a few hours after, she had found the bowl empty in front of the door. 

When Aikka finally got out, Eva had smoked too many cigarettes to count and was opening her second beer can of the night. She hadn’t drunk at all since the beginning of the quarantine, because it didn’t seem proper to do so with guests. But today had been stressful, and seeing Canaan’s weakness had awakened a deep fear in her that she needed to keep at bay for her own sanity. 

She was chilling on her balcony, slouched on the small garden table her dad had given her when he had moved in, when Aikka knocked on the glass door. Eva forced herself to smile and waved her beer can. 

“If you want something to drink, help yourself in the fridge. There’s some pizza left on the counter if you’re hungry.” 

Aikka came back with a slice of pizza and two cans of beer. He sat in front of Eva, at the other side of the tiny garden table, and ate and drank silently, watching the sunset. 

“How is he doing?” Eva asked after a while.

“He’s asleep now.”

Eva waited, but Aikka didn’t say more. He was still looking at the sky. Not really knowing what else to do, she took a cigarette out, lit it and took a drag. When she let the smoke out of her mouth, she saw that Aikka was watching her. She winced. 

“Sorry, do you mind that I smoke? It’s a bad habit when I’m stressed out, but I can put it out”

Aikka shook his head smiling. “Not at all. Actually, do you think I could try it?” 

Eva snorted and waved the cigarette at Aikka. “Sure, knock yourself out.”

It’s only when Aikka actually took the cigarette and put it between his lips, slowly taking a drag, that Eva realized how intimate that whole exchange was. She shuddered and looked away. 

“You know he isn’t mad at you, right?” Aikka was giving Eva her cigarette back. She gestured that he could keep it if he wanted to. The prince shrugged and took another drag. He didn't cough like people did when they tried smoking for the first time. Maybe he was used to it?

“I know my master can be … strict. But he doesn’t mean any harm. Especially towards you.” 

Eva couldn’t help but snort, guilt boiling in her gut. “Right. I’m probably the one who got him sick, but he’s not mad at me.” 

“You don’t know that.”

Fair enough, Eva thought. She didn’t say it out loud though, because she was too tired and tipsy to debate further about that particular topic. 

“Don’t worry, I know it’s not personal”, she said instead. “He seems pissed at anyone from Earth anyway.” 

Eva was hoping that Aikka would make a joke about how Canaan was a grumpy old man or a light remark about honor, the kind of things they sometimes exchanged when the topic was too touchy, to smooth it over. However, the Prince looked even more serious than before. 

“Your government has been … difficult with us.” 

“Aren’t you happy you signed a deal with them though? I thought that was the point of freeing yourself from the Crogs, to have better alliances”

Aikka frowned. “The point was to survive, Eva.” 

Eva held her breath, quickly looking away from her friend’s annoyed face. Somehow, she had managed to make the conversation even more tense than before. Great.

“I’m sorry”, she said. Aikka said nothing and finished his first can of beer, immediately opening another one. From any other friend, Koji or Stan for instance, this wouldn’t have seemed weird at all to Eva. But to see the prince being so carefree, so … normal? It was a bit odd. She was still getting used to seeing him without his headpiece. In the first days of the quarantine, Aikka had kept it on his head, like he always did. But at some point, he just stopped wearing it, simply styling his hair in a high ponytail. No point in reminding Canaan or Eva he was a prince. They knew.

“My father is dying.” 

Eva almost choked with her beer. “W-what?”

“King Lao, my father, is dying”, Aikka repeated, like he would have told her that 2 + 2 equals 4. “Nobody outside of the castle of Döl knows about it. Not even Nourasians citizens. But somehow, the Earth coalition knows. And they are trying to use it against us.” 

Another feeling of guilt, not her own, but still very strong, exploded in Eva’s belly. “How so?” she croaked. 

“My father is the main architect of the treaty with the Earth coalition. Because of what we went through with the Crogs, he was very mindful of the terms, what he agreed on giving up, and what he would never let go. My trip was supposed to be a routine check, but your president has been very insistent of how I should make myself more … flexible than my father, now that his death is near.” 

“Aikka, this is awful.” 

“I agree. And so does Canaan. Hence his anger. And this whole … confinement situation doesn’t really help” 

They both sat in silence for a long time, processing. Eva looked at the garden, a few floors down, getting darker by the minute. She liked Paris at night. It was more quiet and bright. 

Finally, Eva sighed. “I can’t imagine how hard this whole situation is for you. I know I’ve been thinking about death a lot, lately”, she admitted. “I haven’t felt this way since Oban and, well, Jordan.” 

Eva turned away from the garden, looking at Aikka instead. She was relieved to find he didn’t look angry anymore. He was listening, his blue eyes gleaming in the dark. 

“I know Jordan isn’t dead”, Eva added quickly. “But well, what different would it make if he was?”

“Do you still feel guilty?”

Eva nodded quickly. “I do. Like I still feel guilty that my own father abandoned me, like I had deserved it or something. And now, there is this pandemic, and I’m afraid I might pass the virus to people in the streets, people I love, or to…”

“Canaan”, concluded Aikka. 

“...Yeah”

Aikka nodded. 

“I hope he’ll feel better soon”, Eva said, feeling a bit lame for talking about her feelings when Aikka’s own father was dying, and that his other father-figure was now sick. “And I’m sorry for your father. I really am.”

Aikka nodded again, this time throwing his head backwards, his neck against the guardail of her balcony, looking at the few stars you could see in the sky. 

____

Maybe it was only in Eva’s mind. But when they both got to bed, she felt a little tension. 

They took turns in the bathroom, changing into their night clothes as silently as possible, so that they wouldn’t wake Canaan up. When Eva got out, Aikka had switched off the lights and was already under the covers, lying on his back. She tip-toed to the couch and made herself as comfortable as possible (truly, she hadn’t realized how shitty her mattress was). 

She was already half-asleep when she felt Aikka's skin brush against hers, his fingers on her thigh. She could barely feel it ; Aikka probably didn't mean to do it. Her couch was small and not meant for two people. 

However, Eva couldn't help her heart from pounding. She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling, waiting for something, she wasn't sure what, but something else. Next to her, she could hear Aikka's breathing, not slow enough to be asleep. 

She waited a few minutes. Then she fell asleep without realizing it.  
___

Every day started to feel the same. 

Even if Canaan was sick, Aikka and Eva fell into a new routine quickly, which wasn’t that different from the previous one. Eva woke up at 8, and Aikka much earlier. When she opened her eyes, he had usually already exercised, showered, and was in Canaan’s room. Eva did not understand how he managed all this without waking her up.

She hoped Aikka slept well, if he slept at all. He looked more tired than usual these days. Eva supposed it was from the stress of this whole situation, and about Canaan’s state. But she also knew she was an over-active sleeper. She hoped she didn’t bother him. They hadn’t talked about the “incident” of their first night, if it was an incident at all. Maybe Eva had imagined it. But since then, Aikka had always slept on the very side of the couch, showing her his back.

One morning, she had woken up, alone on the couch, as usual, but all tucked in, which wasn’t normal. She moved so much in her sleep that she was used to waking up with no cover on her at all. Eva realized that Aikka must have tucked her in when he had woken up. She didn’t know what to think of this, so she tried her best not to think about it at all.

____

“Why are you here?”

Eva sighed and closed the door of her bedroom. She hadn’t seen Canaan for a whole week, and didn’t feel like quarelling with him. She put her heavy tray on her desk, then turned around to face Aikka’s master. 

“Aikka fell asleep and I didn’t feel like waking him up”, she explained. “I made a big batch of curry. I thought you might want some.” 

Eva crossed her arms, waiting for Canaan’s anger. But Aikka’s master stayed silent. She took her chance and walked to the bed.

“Do you mind if I check your temperature?” she asked, holding the thermometer high, so that Canaan wouldn’t think she meant any funny business. He nodded. 

While waiting for the machine’s verdict, Eva allowed herself to look at her friend’s master a bit more closely. He didn’t look very good, but less bad than she had feared. Canaan was pale, his eyes bloodshot, he clearly hadn’t shaved in a while, and his long white hair was a mess on the cushion. Like Aikka, he wasn’t wearing the headpiece she usually saw him with. But apart from his long ears, he looked like a regular middle-aged man. He could have been Don Wei’s friend or something, if Eva’s dad had had any friends outside of Rick. 

The thermometer beeped. The fever hadn’t dropped, but was lower than before. 

“You’re getting better”, Eva said, more to herself than to Canaan, while putting the thermometer back on her nightstand. “How do you feel?” 

“Terrible”, Canaan said, curtly. Eva frowned. Canaan frowned back and coughed, suddenly looking a bit embarrassed. “I mean, not as terrible as before." 

There was a pause. "Thank you for your help.” 

Eva cleared her throat, feeling weirdly vulnerable in front of Canaan’s gaze. Him being nice to her was … new. She went back to her desk, busying herself with her plates. 

“Do you feel like eating?” Eva asked

“I do, yes.” 

Eva came back with a bowl of rice and vegetable curry, along with a spoon. She put it on the nightstand. “There you go. I’ll leave you to it then.” 

“Miss Wei, please wait.” 

Eva stopped, her hand already on the door’s knob. She turned back to face Canaan. 

“Yes?”

“Please tell the prince he should rest more.” Canaan made a pause, clearly thinking about his choice of words. “I’ve told him this already, but I believe he would listen to you more. I do not mind that you come here, if that helps him relax a little. From time to time.”

Eva felt like she had passed some sort of test. She nodded, afraid she would ruin the moment if she spoke.

Canaan scoffed. “Now leave me alone, young lady!” 

“Yessir”, said Eva, barely containing her smile.

____ 

One day, after dinner, Eva hugged Aikka, just because she felt like it, and also because she was craving human touch. Calling her dad and her friends from time to time was nice, but it didn’t make her feel less alone. Sometimes, Eva found herself daydreaming about little things that she didn’t even know she missed, like the way Rick would ruffle her hair when she had done well in training, or how her dad would pat her shoulder to get her attention when she wasn’t really listening to him and looking at her smartphone instead.

So when Aikka was done with washing the dishes and joined her on the balcony, Eva got up and hugged him. She didn’t tell him about her dad or Rick or anything else, really. She just said that she was glad he was here.

Aikka didn’t really react at first, his hand hovering in the air. Eva couldn't see his face, her nose buried in his chest, but she could hear his heart flutter and race. Fortunately, before the situation could get even more awkward, Aikla closed his arms against Eva and held her tight. After a while, they parted, sat down at the small garden table and chatted like usual, though they didn't really look at each other in the eyes.

That night, when they went to sleep, Aikka took more time than usual in the bathroom. Eva fell asleep before he came back.

___

One month in, Eva stopped reading the news. It was too depressing and infuriating. The Earth government was a bunch of worthless liars, hiding the truth about a possible vaccine, much-needed masks and how badly, actually, the economy was going to be affected by the pandemic in the long run.

And anyway, they had stopped taking her calls about Aikka and Canaan. So really, apart from their weekly food delivery, they were on their own.  
____

It all went down because of a gift.

One morning, Eva received a text from Xavier, who told her he had sent something for her. None of her friends knew that the freaking Prince of Nourasia was quarantined with her ; but Eva had left enough cryptic messages and links to emo songs in their WhatsApp group to let them know she was having a rough time. 

“I thought you might enjoy a little breather”, wrote Xavier. Eva should have expected it, but she was still surprised to find weed in her mailbox.

She went on with her day after that, the little package forgotten in her sweater pocket. But then, it all went wrong.

First, after being better for a while, Eva found out that Canaan had relapsed, his fever higher than ever. Not that she needed her thermometer to know that : when she had seen him, late in the afternoon, he had barely uttered a word, breathing heavily under the covers.

But then, when she had tried to tell Aikka, he hadn’t even looked up from the book he was reading.

“I know”, he had said. “I was with him this morning.” 

“And you didn’t think I would have liked to know that?”

Aikka raised one eyebrow. “I didn’t realize I had to tell you everything, Eva.” 

That made Eva snap. Aikka had been acting weird for days, getting suddenly mad at little things or just being generally annoying. Like that thing he was doing right now : talking to Eva but not looking at her, like she wasn’t worth his time.

“Oh fuck you prince Aikka” 

At last, the prince dropped his book. “I beg your pardon?”

“You heard me.”

Aikka tsked, a sound Eva had never heard him make, like, ever. Somehow, it made her even more mad.

“I already knew that Earthlings knew nothing of respect”, he added. “But I guess you’re just giving me more proof.” 

Before she could stop herself, Eva grapped Aikka’s wrist and shook it violently.

“Sure, let me repeat myself then”, she spat. “Fuck you. I'm not at your disposal so you can take it out on me when you’re feeling under the weather. One day, Aikka, you’ll need to face the fact that you’re scared. You’re scared for your dad, you’re scared for Canaan, you’re scared they will never let you go back to Nourasia, and by the way, you’re scared of me.” 

“Scared of y-you?” Aikka stuttered, another thing Eva had never, ever seen him do. 

“Yeah, of me, dumbass. I’m not sure how you treat women back home Aikka, but here on Earth, negging is considered as kind of really shitty.” 

Aikka’s confused face would have been hilarious in another context. Eva shook her head, holding her friend’s wrist even tighter. 

“What I mean is that if you wanna fuck me, Aikka, you’d better make peace with it. Learn to deal with your feelings or leave me out of it. I’m not a punching ball nor your psychatrist"

For one very scary second, Eva thought she had managed to make Aikka cry. But his expression closed as soon as it opened, leaving her with a very cold and angry stare. The prince shook his wrist out of her hands, got up and walked to the bathroom without a word. He didn’t slam the door, probably not to wake up Canaan. Nonetheless, Eva felt like a mom dealing with her angry teenage son. 

Really, if their situation wasn’t that shitty, it would have been pretty funny.

After that, Eva went on the balcony to get some fresh air. She tried to practice some breathing exercises that Rick had taught her to relax before a race. But she wasn't going to race anytime soon, and the mere thought of that got her even angrier than before.

That's when Eva remembered Xavier's gift. 

Aikka got out of the bathroom an hour after their fight. Maybe more. Eva had kind of lost track. She didn't smoke that much, so it was very easy for her to feel high. She tried not to worry about the fact that, since the beginning of the pandemic, she had smoked and drinked alone quite a bit, something she had swore she would never do.

But also, she felt lonely and anxious all the time, and she wasn't allowed to go out. She had to let those feelings out somehow.

Aikka knocked at the glass door and let himself on the balcony. Eva didn't even look up.

"Do you mind if i sit with you?"

Eva considered ignoring him, but finally opted for not being a total bitch. "Sure."

Out of habit, she even passed along her blunt, just like she would have done with her Earthling friends. Before she could even realize what she was doing (giving drugs to...an alien?), Aikka took it. Eva mentally shrugged. She had done worse things in her life.

The prince took a drag. Eva heard him inhale sharply, probably realizing this wasn't just tobbaco, and then let out a long, shaking breath.

They said nothing for a while. Aikka was the first to break the silence.

"I'm really sorry Eva." 

Eva had nothing to answer to that, so he added. "I'm sorry for everything. My behaviour and...my general stupidity i guess."

That made Eva snort. She turned her head around, and stopped smiling as soon as she saw Aikka's miserable face. His eyes were red and puffy. She wasn't sure if it was weed-related.

Eva forced herself to wink, even if she was still feeling frustrated. "Don't worry about it. The last weeks have been rough for everyone. Especially for you and Canaan."

Aikka shook his head. "Yes, but it's not that, not only, it's...I mean…"

He sighed. Eva laughed a bit too hard, trying to make the situation feel less tense. "Wanna mime it ? Would that help me understand it ?"

Aikka answered by bending over the small garden table and kissing Eva.

To be fair, it wasn't her best kiss. Not even her best first kiss, which were always awkward in her opinion. Aikka was sitting too far from her, she could feel his arms trembling against the table, trying to hold himself steady. There was too much teeth, not enough tongue (for Eva's taste anyway).

But then Eva took charge and, without even breaking contact, got up, went around the table, held Aikka's hair in her hand, and bent over her friend so she could kiss him and press him against the railgard.

The result was much, much better. Probably for Aikka as well, judging by the way he suddenly, and quite loudly, gasped.

Eva kissed Aikka deeply, brushing her tongue against his, nibbling on his lower lips, holding his head between her hands so that she could do exactly what she wanted to do with him. He seemed happy to follow suit, his hands clenched against her hips, pulling her against him as much as he could, so that her body would touch his. Aikka's mouth tasted like spit, weed and desire.

At some point (two minutes later? maybe two hours?), Eva let herself collapse against Aikka, who immediately put his hand on the small of her back to make her sit on him. 

She spread her legs and sat against him. But the feeling of him flushed and - oh god - hard against her belly immediately rang an alarm in her head. Eva jerked back.

"Wait." She was still sitting on Aikka but had put her hands against his chest, probably more to remind her that this should stop than to prevent the prince from doing anything. 

She looked at him. His face was absolutely insane. His eyes were red, his lips swollen and glistening with saliva (hers/his/both). His hair was a mess, free for his usual ponytail, and Eva could see his chest heaving up and down through the collar of his shirt, that now rode very low, below his collarbones. 

Eva was high and she hadn't fucked in a LONG while and oh god this had to stop right now before she couldn't be reasonable anymore.

"Sorry, um. I'm really liking this. Like, a lot. But i'm high and i bet you are as well and this...this isn't a thing we should do under influence. Can we, uh, go to sleep ? And maybe see if we're still up for this tomorrow?"

Aikka was looking at her with wide eyes, like she was both insane and brilliant. She had to wait a few seconds before he could muster an answer.

"I" he coughed, his hand jerking against the small of Eva's back, unintentionally pressing her crotch against his. She bit the inside of her cheek, feeling her lower belly twitch in a dangerous way. "I, uh, agree but...do you really think any of us can, uh, find sleep ? In this state ?"

Eva laughed again, still too loudly considering the situation. She was embarrassed and aroused. She had to go. Before Aikka could say anything else, she got up and ran to lock herself in the bathroom.

____

Maybe it was bound to happen, Eva thought. Like the sun shone in the morning, like the stars glowed at night, maybe she and Aikka were bound to be together when neither the sun nor the stars could be seen in the sky.

It was a little before 6, according to her smartphone, when she woke up with a jolt. Aikka was also awake. He was sitting on the bed, looking at the window. The sky was between night and day, painted in shades of deep blue, pink and gold. Even if her flat was still dark, Eva could see her friend’s face, the way his dark circles looked bigger than yesterday, how his ginger hair created a peaceful halo around his head, the slowness of his breathing, his chest moving up and down in a regular manner, under his nightshirt.

Without Eva uttering a single word, Aikka suddenly turned around and looked at her, like he had guessed she was awake. She straightened herself on the bed. 

“Hi”, he whispered. “Did I wake you up?” 

Eva shook her head, and answered as quietly as possible. “Nah, don’t worry. I never sleep very well when I smoke weed.” 

Aikka nodded. He moved his body slowly on the couch, like he wanted to make the least noise possible. He was now facing Eva, looking at her with an expression she couldn’t quite decipher. Maybe he was feeling sick? 

“How are you feeling?” Eva asked, frowning. Aikka’s calm smile instantly put her mind at ease.

“I’m fine. I didn’t sleep much, but I don’t feel the effects of this, uh, weed anymore.” 

However, before Eva could giggle at Aikka’s use of the word “weed”, he added :

“I’m afraid I still very much want you, though.”

Maybe it was bound to happen, Eva thought, when Aikka hesitantly took her left hand and kissed her knuckles. She felt frozen, not by fear of what was going to happen between them, but by wanting it so hard. She closed her eyes, opened them again. Aikka was waiting for her answer. She slowly took her hands out of the way of his lips, stroking his jaw instead.

“Are you sure?” she was whispering so low she was afraid he couldn’t understand her. But he could, and nodded again. “Can’t you get in trouble for this?”, Eva insisted. “Like, having sex with someone you’re not married to?”

“Yes. I want you and i could get in trouble for it”, he said matter-of-factly. “Can I kiss you?”

Eva answered by suddenly grabbing his neck, pulling him on top of her, and rolling them over. She sat on him, shamelessly, feeling his whole body tense up when her crotch brushed against his. She bent and kissed him, hard. Aikka immediately kissed her back. It felt even better than before, because they weren’t high anymore. Everything felt more real, sharp, hot and heavy. Eva took no time in pulling over Aikka’s nightshirt, rushing so that nobody would interrupt them, maybe Canaan, or someone from the government, or worse, Aikka himself, who would suddenly realize this was a terrible idea. 

The prince did none of that. He let Eva undress him, even took her hands to put them on his chest, as an invitation, or maybe a plea, so that she could touch him. She did, tracing his collarbone, stroking his chest, his belly, feeling the curve of his lower back, the elastic band of his pants, going up to comb his long hair, listening to him gasp and hold his breath everytime she would explore somewhere new. 

“I haven’t…” Aikka hadn’t touched Eva yet, his hands cupping her face, rubbing gentle circles on her cheeks with his thumbs. She looked at him and nodded, to let him know she was listening.

“I have never done this”, he finally said. 

Eva smiled. “I have.” 

Maybe it was bound to happen, or maybe it wasn’t, afterall. Maybe they were just two lonely persons who only had each other for comfort. For a while, there were no pandemic, death or political plots, no prince and no winner of the great Oban race. She was Eva, he was Aikka and they were together.

________

When Eva woke up again, the sun was high in the sky and she was alone in bed. Nonetheless, she felt at peace. She let herself doze off, listening to the noise of the city and the quiet beating of her heart.

________

The new, new routine of their quarantine is that they had sex a lot.

They did it only at night, so that Canaan wouldn't hear them, even though they were being very careful of not making any noise. 

They usually did it at Eva's initiative. Aikka never asked, maybe because he was shy, or that he didn't want to push her to do anything. Eva didn't mind. She liked the effect she had on him, how she could make him lose his cool just by kissing the back of his neck or wiggling her hips a little bit when she was stretching on the balcony. She loved being in charge, having the prince (soon-to-be-king!) of Nourasia panting under her, looking at her like she was the most wonderful thing that ever happened in his life.

They did it often, because Eva had a lot to teach Aikka, how she liked to be touched, what he should stroke, kiss, suck, pinch, where he could put his tongue and his fingers, when he had to go slow and when he was allowed to go faster. 

They did it mostly in their mutual bed, but also sometimes on the couch (when it was made) and, one brilliant time, on the balcony at 3 in the morning.

They did it because they wanted each other, because they felt like horny teenagers, because they were bored and scared, because Aikka kept looking at Eva's ass, one day, and she wanted to make him pay for it, because of no particular reasons.

They did it and it was mostly very nice, except that one time when Aikka suddenly burst into tears because he was thinking of his father's imminent death. They had spent all night talking, after that, about their parents and grief, while holding hands under the blanket.

____

“Just promise me you won’t get pregnant”, grumbled Canaan one day, while Eva was bringing him soup, letting her know that he was getting better, and also that he fully knew what was going on on their couch at night.

____

When Canaan fully recovered, Eva didn’t feel sad at all, even though it meant Aikka and her couldn’t spend time alone anymore. She was just glad the old fencing master was alright. 

She both feared and hoped for the quarantine to be over. She couldn’t know, yet, that it wouldn’t end at all, not before many more months. However, she understood pretty quickly that, now that Canaan was feeling better, Aikka wanted to get the hell out of Earth as soon as possible. She was OK with that. Mostly. Of course, he wanted to go back home. Of course, his mother, his father, and his entire planet, were waiting for him to return. Of course, Eva shouldn’t cry about it when she tried to fall asleep, alone in her bed again.

She didn’t really know what Aikka did to convince the government to let them leave. But one day, she received a call to let her know a ship would be waiting for her guests the next morning.

Their last meal together was a very nice affair. Aikka, and even Canaan, shared a bottle of champagne with Eva. She made them tacos - because they simply COULDN’T leave Earth without trying tacos - and a nice lemon tart for dessert. They chatted for a long time. Canaan told Eva some really cute stories about young Aikka, much to the prince’s embarrassment and her enjoyment. They both taught her a nourasian card game that she ended up being quite good at.

After their fifth game in a row, Canaan told them he would go to bed.

“Sure”, said Eva. “Let me just clean up the table and you guys can pull out the couch.”  
“Actually, I was thinking of sleeping in your room.” 

Eva stood still. She didn’t dare look at Canaan, feeling ashamed like a child who would have been scolded for doing something bad, even though, for once, she hadn’t done anything at all.

There was a silence. Then, Canaan sighed.

“I figured you both could use the time to say your goodbyes. Who knows when you can see each other again” His tone was gentle, caring. Eva suddenly felt on the verge of crying. She put the plates she had in her hands back on the table, fearing she might break them. Eva nodded, once, then wiped away her tears. She didn’t see Canaan leave. She did hear Aikka tell him something in nourasian. It sounded like a thank you.

Eva looked up. Aikka was staring at her. She didn’t really know what to say, or what she wanted him to say. She didn’t want their last night to be sappy. But she wanted him to care that he was leaving, just a bit. 

Finally, Aikka smiled. “How do you feel about one last beer on the balcony, princess?” 

Eva snorted. 

___

In the end, their last time wasn’t much different from the others, except that it was their last. They kissed and they touched and they fucked and they held hands afterwards. Eva tried to stay awake, so that the morning wouldn’t come too soon. But then Aikka pulled her head against his chest and stroked her hair. She fell asleep before she could worry about falling asleep.

___

“Miss Wei, it was a pleasure.” 

Eva smirked, but shook Canaan’s hand anyway. “Sure. I’m glad you enjoyed getting sick with a weird and maybe-deadly virus.” 

Canaan didn’t smirk back, but raised his eyebrows, which Eva counted as a success. Then, without saying anything else, he turned his back and went into the ship parked in front of Eva’s building. 

Aikka sighed. “Well. I guess I’d better get going.” 

Eva nodded. “Yeah, you’d better.” 

The prince also nodded, but didn’t move. For the first time since the beginning of their quarantine, he was wearing his headpiece. He looked a bit ridiculous. 

“Come on”, Eva said. “You don’t need to give me a big speech. I’ll miss you too. How about we keep it at that, uh?” 

Aikka kissed her on the lips. Eva let him, because it was very early in the morning, the street was empty, and Canaan was busy somewhere in the ship. Also, she really wanted to kiss him one last time. Before everything goes to shit, before Aikka's dad dies, before Aikka becomes king and probably cut his ties with Earth, before Eva might not see him ever again.

The prince took a step back, still holding her by the shoulders. “Please stay safe?” 

Eva gently poked his nose with her own. “Promise. See you soon?” 

Aikka smiled but didn’t answer.


End file.
